On Monday the Seanad heard submissions in public consultation from different groups and individuals in relation to farm safety. The meeting will contribute towards a Rapporteur Report, which will be authored by Senator Martin Conway, and will centre on encouraging best practice in farm safety.

Education was mentioned many times throughout the presentations, with many individuals mentioning the stick and carrot approach towards educating farmers on this important issue.

Referencing this approach, councillor John Dolan said that all farmers should complete the half-day farm safety course provided by Teagasc for a nominal fee and added that if the numbers completing the course weren't high enough, the half-day should be made compulsory.

He added that regional on-farm safety open days are also very important.

School education on farm safety

Education was also said to be important at junior infant and Transition Year level. Video type modules for different age levels were suggested, with the caveat that it was done to the level of the child's intellect so as not to uncessarily frighten younger children.

It was also suggested that the modules be incorporated with presentations on road safety, junk food and mental health- as are already carried out in schools across the country.

Reference was made to a successful farm safety campaign carried out in Northern Ireland across 93 rural schools which covered 12,000 children.

HSA

Submissions from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) highlighted its free e-learning module rolled out to primary schools around the country in the third quarter of last year which has an emphasis on farm safety for children.

The body also identified initiatives it wishes to take at secondary and tertiary level, especially in terms of influencing the content of the syllabus of agricultural science in colleges in Ireland.

It also intends to launch its Be Smart Tool this year, a free online interactive service for farmers which allows them to identify hazards on a virtual farm and select the controls or measures that counteract the hazard.

Boardgame

Finally, Patrick Duffy, a Transition Year student from Co Monaghan made a very well received proposal to the committee regarding a boardgame he had devised to teach farm safety to young children. The rules allow the player to move forward if he or she lands on a positive farm safety scenario but makes the player move back if he or she lands on a negative one.

Duffy believes the best way to reach children is through fun, interactive tools such as this one and his hope is that children will then end up teaching their parents about farm safety as well as vice versa.